Acadia National Park Bar Harbor, Maine Acadia Teacher Fellow Handbook Rev. 1/15 CONTENTS National Park Service Legacy 3-4 Introduction / Organization / Volunteers Before You Leave Home 5 Administrative Matters / Your Appointment/ Uniforms / Background Check / Mandatory Driver’s License / Division Park Phone Numbers Getting To The Park and When You Arrive 6 By Car / By Bus / By Plane / Reporting In / Park Decal On the Job 7-8 Orientation Training / Additional Training / Computer Use and Email Access / Working Hours / Pay / Check-Out Procedures / Safety / On-the-Job Injuries / Environmental Management Government Housing 9 Furnishings / Policies Your Rights and Responsibilities 10 Equal Employment Opportunity Program / Employee Conduct The Area 10-14 MDI / Towns / Schoodic / Isle au Haut / Getting Around / Weather / Insects / Community Services / Shopping / Dining / Entertainment / Recycling / Laundry Facilities / Newspapers / Libraries / Post Offices / Medical Services / Worship Services Recreation 15-16 Fitness Room / Beaches / Hiking / Biking / Camping / Fishing / Ranger Programs Other Summer Activities / Appendix A - Map of Park Headquarters Appendix B - Map of Mount Desert Island 2 The National Park System: Caring for the American Legacy “…to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for their enjoyment in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” - National Park Service Organic Act, 16 U.S.C.1. “The National Park Service at Acadia National Park protects and preserves outstanding scenic, natural, scientific, and cultural values for present and future generations. These resources include a glaciated coastal and island landscape, biological diversity, clean air and water, and a rich cultural heritage. Acadia National Park also offers opportunities for high-quality non-consumptive recreation, education, and scientific research.” - Acadia National Park Strategic Management Plan Introduction Welcome to Acadia National Park! Acadia was originally established in 1916 as Sieur de Monts National Monument. In 1919 it was designated as Lafayette National Park, and in 1929 it was given the name we know today. Acadia National Park is located in what is known as the “Downeast” region of Maine. The park protects over 47,000 acres where the highest mountains on the eastern seaboard of the United States touch the rocky coast of the Atlantic Ocean. While most of the park is located on Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park also encompasses smaller islands scattered along the coast, including a portion of Isle au Haut to the southwest. The Schoodic Peninsula, one hour’s drive to the east from park headquarters, is the only mainland area of the park. The park receives more than two million visitors annually. The park’s official website is www.nps.gov/acad. It is a great reference for general information, as well as information on upcoming events in the park. The Organization The National Park Service (NPS), under the supervision of the NPS Director, maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The NPS Director is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior who, in turn, reports to the President and is a member of the President’s cabinet. Nationwide there are about 9,000 permanent, year- round NPS employees. Total employment during the summer season is more than 20,000 people. The NPS has seven regional offices, each headed by a regional director. Acadia is in the Northeast Region, and our regional office is located in Philadelphia. The Superintendent of Acadia National Park reports to the regional director of the Northeast Region and is the top park official. The Superintendent is responsible for managing and supervising all park operations and activities, and is also responsible for the overall administration of St. Croix Island International Historic Site in Calais, Maine. In the Superintendent's absence, the deputy superintendent handles these duties. The headquarters of Acadia National Park is located on McFarland Hill, three miles west of Bar Harbor on State Route 233 (see Appendix A for a map of park headquarters). The staff of Acadia consists of approximately 100 permanent employees and, during the summer, about 150 seasonal employees. Park staff is organized by function and includes the divisions of Administration, Interpretation, Maintenance, Resource Management, and Visitor & Resource Protection. A division chief heads each division. The Superintendent’s office includes the Deputy Superintendent and Park Planner. The division of Administration acts as the "business office" for the park. Its principal functions include human resources, budget, purchasing, property management, housing, payroll, concessions management, the 3 volunteer program, and IT support (computers, telephone, video-conferencing). The division of Interpretation is responsible for information/education programming and other services provided to park visitors and neighbors. The division manages park publications, interpretive exhibits, the Nature Center at Sieur de Monts Spring, Islesford Museum, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, and the Winter Visitor Center. Interpretive rangers provide a variety of programs (campfire talks, guided walks and hikes, and other activities) to the public. An extensive curriculum-based education program reaches many students in local schools in the spring and fall. Maintenance is the largest division in the park. It maintains all roads, trails, buildings, utilities, grounds, vehicles, and other physical facilities in the park to ensure they are safe and in good condition. The division also manages facility construction and rehabilitation projects to support Acadia's operation. The division of Resource Management provides scientific guidance to park management on all matters related to natural and cultural resources. The division is responsible for conducting or overseeing studies on physical, biological, and cultural resources to support critical resource management actions. Staff members often work with private landowners to ensure the protection of scenic, ecological, and cultural values on nearly 190 conservation easements (more than 12,000 acres) held by the NPS. The division also maintains an extensive museum collection, caring for over one million historic and archeological objects, archival photos and documents, and natural history specimens. The division of Visitor and Resource Protection is responsible for all emergency services: all-risk incident management, law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, and wildland fire management. The division also manages the dispatch, lifeguard, and fee collection operations and provides physical security for park facilities, buildings, and park-owned housing. Rangers provide extensive visitor contact and ranger presence in both the front country and backcountry areas of Acadia within its boundaries on Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut, Schoodic Peninsula, 78 outer islands, and Saint Croix Island IHS. The fire management branch is responsible for wildland fire management within Acadia and nine other national park sites in the northern New England cluster of parks. The fee program, comprising about half of the division, manages the collection, deposits, and tracking of visitor use fees that are used to support park resource stewardship, education, and visitor use management. Volunteers Volunteers are a crucial part of Acadia National Park's operation and each year provide in excess of 50,000 hours of service to the park. During the summer season, volunteers take on various tasks such as hosting at the campgrounds, working at information centers, and maintaining trails. Some volunteers come as part of groups affiliated with schools or organizations; other volunteers are retirees or local residents. Many opportunities exist for employees to volunteer a few hours as well, both in summer and winter. Contact the park’s Volunteer Coordinator Dianna McKeage at (207) 288-8716 for details. 4 Before You Leave Home Administrative Matters Once you have accepted an offer to work at the park, you will receive some forms from a Human Resource Specialist requiring your signature. Your position requires a security clearance and you will receive paperwork that includes fingerprint forms and others needed to complete your background check. Please adhere to all deadlines. You cannot begin work until all paperwork completed and cleared. Your Appointment Contact your supervisor with your planned arrival time at the park as you near your start date. This will allow your supervisor to confirm your housing assignment, if applicable. Also, special arrangements can then be made for your housing key if you will arrive after business hours or on the weekend. If you have been assigned government quarters in the park, contact your supervisor for the address you should use for your personal mail. It is against park policy to use the park’s mailing address for personal mail. Uniforms The teacher’s uniform consists of a polo shirt and a ball cap or bucket hat with Acadia Teacher Fellow patches. You are asked to wear the uniform whenever you are on duty and visible to park visitors to bring awareness to the Fellowship program. You will need to provide long pants (no particular color; no blue jeans please), belt, raincoat, windbreaker or fleece, hiking boots or shoes. Because any season at Acadia can be cold, windy, and wet, you will need clothing that will protect you from the elements and